THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The moment is still one Rams rookie defensive tackle Braden Fiske will never forget – likely due to the number of people who have sent it to him.
The moment, of course, would be the viral call from Rams GM Les Snead on Day 2 of the draft.
"I think it just makes me a little hungrier," Fiske told theRams.com. "I mean, I had 50 people send me the (Behind The) Grind video, and that feels good. It feels good to see how the reaction was from the people here in the building – they want me here in L.A. They're bringing a guy in that they want to succeed, they're bringing a guy in they wanted to draft him the whole time, which is cool, because I had no idea I was going to the Rams."
Six weeks have passed since getting the call, and Fiske has since concluded his first offseason program as a Ram. He said he's had a "good time" during OTAs, and that this portion of the offseason schedule is "great" for rookies.
"I mean, you kind of get an understanding of where you stand, maybe not just talent-wise, but just physically, and you know what you need to work on," Fiske said. "And you get a little taste of the playbook and and how the translation comes out on the field. So that's all been good, and then just getting around the guys has probably been the coolest part. You really feel the bond of the room, especially the d-line room with all the guys I'm with."
Fiske's biggest takeaway of the playbook so far is the different variations and ways the staff puts players in position to be successful. He also said defensive line coach/run game coordinator Giff Smith "has a really good mind for the game" based on the way he sees that and the opportunities he finds for the Rams defensive linemen on the field. He said it's been great being around assistant defensive line coach A.C. Carter, too, as well as the rest of the coaching staff.
Beyond that, the youth of the defense has also made an impression on him.
"Just as a whole defense, we got a pretty cool mentality," Fiske said. "I feel like we're on the younger side of things, but we got guys that fly around, we got guys just looking for play opps. I think we go out there and play really well together. I'm excited to see what we can put together."
Besides Fiske's reaction, what made his draft call more special was getting to hear his Florida State teammate and Rams first-round draft pick Jared Verse on the other end of the phone after head coach Sean McVay passed the phone to Verse.
The pair became a formidable pass-rush tandem on the Seminoles' defensive line, especially when lined up on the same side. The fact that they now gets to build on that chemistry as they both embark on their NFL careers makes this time even more special.
"It's cool just to build up that and what we can implement on this defense," Fiske said. "I think there's a lot of opportunities for us to come here and succeed, and I'm just excited for how much more we can grow as a unit. Having that bond with me and him, it's something we've both been chasing, we're both super hungry for what we're going after out there. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm excited to see where we get to. It's gonna be real cool."
